The
Hamsters
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The UK's leading red hot rodents return to bring classic Jimi Hendrix inspired rock blues.
As popular as ever and deservedly so, The Hamsters manage to present the big stadium rock sound in an intimate environment.
THE HAMSTERS PLAY JIMI HENDRIX!
The guitar, bass and drums trio The Hamsters have long been established as our premier blues-rock attraction, having performed 4,000 concerts in 21 years. Although primarily playing their own brand of rootsy Rock, Blues and Americana, they're also widely regarded as the UK's leading interpreters of the music of Jimi Hendrix. As it was Jimi's 65th birthday last November, the Hamsters will tonight be performing a full show of his music!
The band's guitarist/singer Slim has a new interview coming up in Guitarist magazine shortly, and the lads are also appearing in a new 3-hour DVD documentary about the Fender Stratocaster titled 'Strat Masters'. Players featured in the film are Ry Cooder, Mark Knopfler, Jeff Beck, Chris Rea, Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, Robert Cray and Rory Gallagher among others.
"They're fabulous: one of Britain's very best live bands" - Bob Harris, Radio 2
"Nobody does the music of Jimi Hendrix better" – The Times
WE’VE BEEN
VOTED THE UK’S BEST BLUES-ROCK BAND BY THE READERS OF BLUEPRINT MAGAZINE.
We've also been asked to contribute a track for inclusion in a new BBC Radio
2 series called "Bright Lights, Big City". It documents the story
of British Rhythm and Blues from the Fifties to the modern day. It's presented
by former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman, and begins on October 31st.
New 75 minute live album, "They Live By Night", to be released in November via Pinnacle. It features 15 tracks, 11 of which have never been recorded by the band before, including brand new material.
In August we broke our own record by appearing before a capacity crowd of 12,000 at the Guildford Festival for the seventh consecutive year.
World Champion Formula 1 driver Damon Hill is a fan, and was spotted wearing a Hamsters tee shirt at the Hungarian Grand Prix!
Slim has been voted one of the top 100 guitarists of all time in a radio poll on LBC .
Our version of Hendrix’s "Voodoo Chile" has been used in an edition of BBC TV’s Top Gear.
Slim is featured in a book called "17 Watts? The First 20 Years Of British Rock Guitar", talking about his early musical experiences alongside such luminaries as Eric Clapton, Gary Moore, George Harrison and David Gilmour.
The band’s album "The Jimi Hendrix Memorial Concerts" was rated Album of the Month in Germany’s leading musicians’ magazine, "Guitar and Bass".
From the hinterlands of
the Thames River Delta come THE HAMSTERS:
Now in their thirteenth year together, soon to be performing their 3,000th concert
and with a national mailing list exceeding 20,000, the Hamsters are established
as the UK’s premier Blues-Rock attraction. This has been achieved purely by
hard work with the band handling all their own affairs, thereby disproving the
popular misconception that it can’t be done without major-label "muscle".
The Hamsters have been voted one of the UK‘s best unsigned bands by Kerrang
magazine... (we already have a record deal, but it’s a nice compliment, innit?)
Even BBC’s Top Gear magazine recognises the band as the UK’s hardest working,
and featured them in an article on in-car entertainment, the Hamsters being
the ideal people to ask as they’re always travelling somewhere...
Widely regarded as leading interpreters of the music of Jimi Hendrix and now
Z.Z.Top, they’re equally comfortable playing Blues or tearing into a hard-rocking
original.
Originally forming for their own amusement and taking their name from the Sex
Pistols (who once used it as a pseudonym to outwit hostile councils), the Hamsters
enjoy the irony of being an aggressive band with a cuddly name, and although
serious about what they do, they don’t take themselves too seriously.
Members have performed with artists such as Eric Clapton, Alison Moyet, Doctor
Feelgood, Walter Trout and the late, great gentleman of British Blues, Alexis
Korner.
Former bassist Dave Bronze appears on Eric Clapton’s ‘From The Cradle’ album,
and has performed as a member of Eric’s band at the Albert Hall concerts several
years running.
Having visited the USA in ‘91, they’re now working a lot in mainland Europe,
and in November ‘92 performed at three sell-out Jimi Hendrix festivals in Holland,
including the most celebrated gig in Europe - the Paradiso, Amsterdam.
Their version of Bob Dylan’s "All Along The Watchtower" is included
on an album of Dylan cover versions, featuring artists such as Bryan Ferry,
Joe Cocker, The Byrds and many others, released throughout Europe by Polygram
in ‘93.
Slim was interviewed for the Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison editions of "Mojo
Working", a Channel 4 TV series broadcast through Summer ‘92 documenting
the most influential figures in popular music.
Slim also writes for Guitarist magazine when he has time, and was featured talking
about his equipment(!) in the September ‘94 edition of Guitar Techniques magazine.
He has also been included in the "Guitarist Magazine Book of Guitar Players",
published in ‘94. In addition, Guitar Techniques has asked Slim to contribute
a recorded lesson on how to play the Blues each month, for inclusion on the
CD which accompanies every issue.
The band have been interviewed and filmed live by MTV Europe, as well as being
featured in session and interview on Radio One for Bob Harris and Johnny Walker,
Radio Two for Paul Jones, for GLR in London, B.F.B.S in mainland Europe and
Dutch national radio.
Early in ‘95, the band released ROUTE 666 which entered the New Musical Express
chart at number 7. The Observer newspaper even pinched the idea from the CD
booklet, for the cover of a colour supplement! Photographs for the album were
taken by the celebrated snapper, Gered Mankowitz, who is especially known for
his seminal photographs of Hendrix and the Stones, among many other Rock icons.
Bassist Dave Bronze was forced to leave the band at the end of ‘94 because of
his growing commitments to Eric Clapton, but not before playing on the majority
of Route 666.
For release throughout mainland Europe, the band is signed to a four album licensing
deal with PROVOGUE RECORDS.
The Hamsters are: Slim — Guitar, Singer / Rev. Otis — Drums, Sings a bit / Zsa
Zsa — Bass, Sings a bit
Recordings:
Electric Hamsterland
Hendrix/Studio
‘90
CD
Burnin’ Vermin
Live
‘91
Video
Hamster Jam
Live
‘91
CD
The Hamsters
Studio
‘93
CD
Route 666
Studio
‘95
CD
The Jimi Hendrix Memorial
Concerts
Live
‘96
2CD
Band of Gerbils
Live
‘96
Video
Verminator! (The Z.Z. Top
Tour)
Live
‘97
Video
Pet Sounds - 10 Years Of Rodent Rock
Compilation
‘98
2CD
Rodents Rock The Reich!
Live German TV
‘98
Video
Condensed Hamsters
Live Compilation
‘00
CD
QUOTES:
Slim is one of my children — Albert Collins
Keep on playing the Experience! — Noel Redding
We make a great double bill —John Mayall
The Hamsters really kick ass, Slim is one of your greatest guitar players -Walter
Trout
A guitar virtuoso performance you’ll rarely see matched anywhere, and the tightest
rhythm section in the business — Blueprint
Outstanding – The Guardian
Top drawer, rough-edged R’n’B – Time Out
These guys are awesome! - Ents24.com
Blistering Blues-Rock - Manchester Evening News
Unarguably one of the best live acts in the country — Blueprint
Their Voodoo Chile’ makes a total mockery of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s supposedly
seminal version —Kerrang
Slim is the true inheritor of the Hendrix legacy — Zounds (German national rock
magazine)
A rhythm section most bands would sell their mothers for, and a guitarist who
gives you the whole history of rock and blues in two hours — Kerrang
Hamster Jam is a strong set of rockin’ R ‘n’ B —they’re great at what they do
—Raw
The Hamsters, superb musicians to a man, are raunchy masters of it all, and
‘Hamster Jam’ is a veritable text-book for cricket bat guitarists everywhere
—Blueprint
The hardest-working band in the land-there’s no excuse for not catching their
hardest of hard blues —Kerrang As close to Jimi Hendrix live as you’ll get —Raw
Essential entertainment. . . they have few peers —Brum Beat
They can play a lot better than many (they’re pretty damn good, in fact) —Metal
Hammer
Latest in a distinguished line of great British power trios, the whole band
are technically quite perfect. . . Snail’s Pace Slim is simply outstanding —Blueprint
Technically flawless, before the Hamsters no band has contemplated Hendrix covers
on such a scale —Vox
Their Hendrix tribute album, Electric Hamsterland, is a triumph —Kerrang
Evil R ‘n’ B with maximum impact —Guitarist
This combo can show those who were too young at the time what an early Hendrix
gig sounded like — John Tobler
Tight as a thumbscrew. . . dazzling technique with all the kick of a mule wearing
DMs — Blueprint
Rock and roll at its very best —Guitarist
Few can compete with the Hamsters —Highly Strung
The band Freddie Starr tried to eat, but they kicked his fxxxin’ head in! —Krusher
(Kerrang)
With their third LP, the Hamsters proceed to do things in their own inimitable
style, and a darned good thing it is, too. Although rooted in the Blues garden,
they’re not afraid to reach out into commercially tinged Rock or throw in a
welcome dash of humour. A worthy effort — Raw
The Hamsters play rock like it should be played. This is one of the grittiest
& loudest albums to hit the turntable. "Chevrolet" in Hamster
hands rips and cuts like a thunderbolt. — Rock CD
The band are winning themselves a high place in the rock firmament. The music
rocks hard and only a truck crashing in a snow drift could stop them. Go out
and enjoy ‘em! — Rock World
On the evidence of this album, the likes of Walter Trout have got some serious
competition —Metal CD
Some of the most accomplished and entertaining rock I’ve heard in two decades.
The playing is, as ever, first rate -undeniably a quality product, streets ahead
of its rivals at the hard ‘n’ heavy end of the blues spectrum — Blueprint (magazine
of the British Blues Connection)
The Hamsters could play in Austin, Texas and suffer no embarrassment. The only
difference between them and similarly driven outfits like the Black Crowes is
the size of the marketing budget available — Hi-Fl News
This fourteen track set amply conveys the versatility of the outfit with a fine
cross-section of material from subtle to knife-edqed. It should alert many to
the fine quality music available in their local clubs — Brumbeat